Doctor Octopus Still Has The Hots For Spider-Man’s Aunt

Warning! Spoilers ahead for Amazing Spider-Man #80.BEY

In the latest issue of Marvel Comics’ Amazing Spider-Man, it’s revealed that Doctor Octopus still has a thing for Aunt May. Having a bizarre romantic past, Doc Ock and May Parker were nearly married in the Spider-Man comics of the ’70s which Spider-Man barely prevented. However, it seems as though Otto Octavius’ feelings for May were real and remain in the present who’s seen flirting with Spider-Man’s aunt after she requested his help to find a cure for Peter Parker who’s currently dying in the hospital.

In Amazing Spider-Man #80.BEY from writer Cody Ziglar and artists Ivan Fiorelli, Carlos Gómez, Paco Medina, and Walden Wong, Aunt May is determined to help her nephew who has been in a coma. Suffering from radiation poisoning he received as Spider-Man while battling the U-Foes, Peter has been incapacitated while his clone Ben Reilly has taken over as a corporate-sponsored Spider-Man. However, May Parker has never been one to sit and do nothing, especially when her nephew is in danger. As a result, Spider-Man’s aunt turns to one of his greatest enemies for help.

Sure enough, Amazing Spider-Man #80.BEY sees Doctor Octavius himself coming to the aid of Aunt May, and his willingness to help no doubt comes from his lasting feelings for May Parker. Back in 1974’s Amazing Spider-Man, Doc Ock and May were almost married at the altar before Spider-Man managed to put a stop to it. While Doctor Octopus certainly had his ulterior motives attached to his desire to marry May, this new issue confirms that his attraction to Spider-Man’s aunt was indeed real (and hasn’t gone away).

While Doc Ock tries more than a handful of times to rekindle the spark between himself and his past love in this issue, Aunt May remains focused on helping Peter. However, there are a few instances where it seems Octavius’ charisma almost does the trick. That being said, Doc Ock’s propensity for violence and aggression with his mechanical arms did a great job of reminding May why she didn’t stay with the supervillain, motivating Peter’s aunt to end their partnership before a cure could be found. However, the issue’s end sees Peter Parker finally waking from his coma thanks to an anonymous donor providing the hospital with valuable research and data about Peter’s unique condition, seeing as how Octavius finished his and May’s investigation to make up for the brutality he displayed.

While it’s doubtful Doc Ock and May’s relationship will go anywhere in future issues, it is nice to see significant moments and dynamics from past Spider-Man comics coming into play in the present. The two of them were very close to being spouses after all, and this issue seems to confirm there was a significant attraction. For whatever reason, Doc Octopus presented himself as a legitimate suitor in May’s eyes. Were he not a major Spider-Man villain, perhaps they could have lived happily ever after.

About The Author

Kevin Erdmann
(2527 Articles Published)

Kevin Erdmann is one of Screen Rant’s staff writers. With a major in Cinema Studies and a minor in Comics and Cartoon Studies from the UofO, Kevin is pretty sure he’s writing for the right site. While Kevin is a huge Marvel fan, he also loves Batman because he’s Batman and is a firm believer that Han shot first. Disney also shares a big part of his fan patronage. Kevin lives in Oregon with his wonderful wife and sinister cat who is no doubt currently plotting his demise.

See also  American Horror Story: Every Finn Wittrock Character Ranked

More From Kevin Erdmann